On the far side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus encountered a demon-possessed man called “Legion.” His life was scarred by the domineering presence of evil, but Jesus had come to break that power and set him free. Once healed, the man found a new mission in telling others about Jesus.

When Jesus ate with some of the religious leaders of his day, he was immediately confronted by their externalism. They were more concerned with looking good than with being good. Jesus spoke a series of woes, pointing out the hypocrisy and superficiality of their motives. He offered them – and us – a better way forward through inside-out transformation.

Instead of taking the customary Jewish route between Judea and Galilee, Jesus passed through Samaria and struck up a conversation with a woman at a well. He showed her that a series of failed marriages had left her deeply dissatisfied and he offered her the free gift of eternal contentment. Discover what this story says about your own dissatisfaction, what you're doing about it, and what God wants to do.

A rich, young ruler approaches Jesus and asks him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Boasting in his performance, he tells Jesus he’s obeyed the commandments of God since his youth. Jesus challenges him to stop building his identity on money and morality, to give everything he has to the poor, and to come empty-handed and follow him as a disciple. What can we learn about the remedy for self-reliance from this encounter?

Life is filled with storms that leave us frustrated and fatigued. We often wonder where God is or where we went wrong. Why is this happening to me? This text is the assurance that God is present with you in the storm, always actively working for your good.

What is your most valuable possession? Why that thing? Does it possess intrinsic value, sentimental value, or something else? What would have to change in your life to feel this way about the rule and reign of Christ -- to value his kingship as your greatest treasure?

The kingdoms of this world grow -- they expand in influence, power, and control -- through conquest.

The kingdom of God grows, paradoxically, by a very different means. Learn what it means to follow King Jesus in the expansion of his glory and good news.

After King Jesus laid down his life and then conquered sin, death, and hell by taking it up again, he had a commission for his followers. A key message of Good News they were to take to the world. What does this message say about who gets into the kingdom -- and how they get in?

If we want the Church to represent the kingdom of God, we need to know, love, and serve the interests of our paradoxical king.

What do non-Christians think of Jesus based on the attitudes and tone of Christians? Are they drawn to lean in and learn more or are they put off by proud, reductionist, hypocritical thinking? How can we strike the right balance so that the manner of our lives is both truthful and graceful?